Bacteria Could Help Prevent Liquefaction During Earthquakes

Research at UC Davis has shown that a common bacteria could be used to help stabilize soils prone to liquefaction during earthquakes. The work involves using cultured Bacillus pasteurii, commonly found in soil, injected into cyllinders of soil in the laboratory along with oxygen and nutrients. The bacteria causes the formation of calcium carbonate which cements the soil particles together. Alternative compounds such as epoxy have been used to achieve a similar result, but the environmental effects are in question. Check out the blog post. (Photo by nebarnix)